The Time Machine Page #12

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

But then Mother Earth, aroused by man's

violence, responded with volcanic

violence or her own!

CHASM IN THE GROUND - (STOCK) 127

The smoke and steam give way to a spluttering of

red hot lava which swells slowly at first in a

rising tide and then spilling over begins to

EXPLODE into the air.

BACK ON TIME TRAVELLER 128

The Time Machine is shaken violently, but the

Time Traveller manages to crawl into it.

THE THAMES - LONG SHOT - (STOCK) 129

As the river spills over its bed and turns into

another direction.

THE STREETS - (STOCK, MINIATURE, SPLIT) 130

With red hot lava swirling around the bases of the

remaining buildings. The lower parts of the struct-

ures in the f.g. dissolve into smoke and flame and

the upper parts come tumbling down into the rising

red flood. Then the incoming rush of the river

meets the flowing tide of lava. The two opposite

elements, molten rock and cold green water, dwarf

the ruined city as they leap toward each other, and

meet with explosive fury. The air is rent with the

SINGING HISS of water and the CRACKLING of cooling

rock. Steam whitens the sky.

THE TIME MACHINE - LONG SHOT - (STOCK) - (PROCESS) 131

Out of the tumult a flow of red hot lava turns

aside and leaps directly toward the Time Machine.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

Then I saw my own danger. I too was

to be engulfed!

CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 132

As he sees his great peril.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

But to go back was unthinkable.

He jams the lever forward to its furthest position.

The HUMMING SOARS TO A VERY HIGH PITCH.

THE ENCROACHING LAVA - (STOCK) 133

It has been approaching with the speed of a torrent,

but now it literally leaps forward in a blinding

red haze that engulfs the entire scene.

THE TIME MACHINE - MED. SHOT 134

The interior of the Machine is permeated with a dull

red glow which seems to flow like mist all about the

Time Traveller.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

Only my speed through time saved me

from being roasted alive and encased

in stone forever.

INSERT OF DIALS 135

They are spinning too fast to distinguish anything

in the gradually fading red glow.

EXTREME CLOSE ON TIME TRAVELLER 136

His face is bathed in sweat. His eyes search the

growing darkness.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

The molten rock cooled.

(he closes his burning

eyes as the last of the

light vanishes)

I prayed...wondering how many centuries,

how many eons must pass before the wind

and rain could wear away the mountain

that enclosed me.

In the pitch darkness there are only the sounds of

the HUMMING TIME MACHINE and the SLOW LABORED

BREATHING of the Time Traveller.

Then a match flickers. The CAMERA SCARES BACK. The

Time Traveller holds up a burning matchstick, his

face glistening with perspiration as he leans forward

to look at the dials.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

(whispering)

Darkness...darkness for centuries.

INSERT OF DIALS 137

They roll very fast. We can distinguish only the

passing of years -- 70,000...80,000...90,000...

100,000. Then the matchlight flickers and goes

out leaving only the dial's own faint glow.

BACK ON TIME TRAVELLER 138

Once again there is darkness and the MONOTONOUS HUM

of the Time Machine. He breathes heavily and tries

to calm himself.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

I wondered if there was still war

being waged on the ground above me...

if man would still exist on earth,

when I saw the sun again.

As he speaks, the Time Machine goes faster and faster.

HIGH PITCHED HUMMING INCREASES.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

The centuries rolled by. - I put

my trust in time and waited for

the rock to wear down around me.

A white light from above begins to permeate the dark-

ness. The Time Traveller looks up, his face showing

immense relief.

WHAT HE SEES - (ANIMATION) 139

Rocks deteriorate and a bright blue sky bursts into

view. ACCENT ON MUSIC.

EXT. TIME MACHINE AND GROUND NEARBY - LONG SHOT 140

(SPLIT, ANIMATION)

Everything is a blur except the Time Machine with its

passenger. The black rock on the surface slowly melts

away and the flickering sunlight returns. The Machine

is now finally entirely above ground, the only distinct

object in the whirling transparent landscape.

EXT. TIME TRAVELLER - CLOSE SHOT 141

As he smiles gratefully up at the sky.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

I was free again!

He looks o.s.

INDISTINCT COUNTRYSIDE - LONG SHOT - (ANIMATION) 142

There is an impression of several great buildings

set wide apart by green landscape -- a landscape

which no longer changes color even though trees

spring up like plumes of green smoke.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

Thousands of centuries passed, but

the earth stayed green! There was

no winter! No wars! - Had man finally

learned to control both the elements

and themselves? - I had to stop and

find out.

TIME TRAVELLER - MED. SHOT 143

As he eagerly pulls hard on the lever, the HUMMING

DECREASES and the dial freezes on: "23 November

802,701". THERE IS A CRASH LIKE THUNDER and the

Time Machine suddenly goes into a spin. The CAMERA

ZOOMS BACK TO A FULL HIGH SHOT as the machine keels

over. The friction caused by the intrusion creates

a pitiless HAIL, and we

SLOWLY DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TIME TRAVELLER - CLOSE SHOT - (DAY) 144

Thick mist eddies about his face, undulating

dreamily, revealing enough to see that he is

unconscious. Blood seeps from a gash across his

forehead. He dazedly opens his eyes to find that

he is gazing across the dewey, green turf. Then

he looks up.

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